The Immortal Alchemist
by Golden-Sama
Summary: Al, now human once more, is on a journey that will take him across the world. Ed, meanwhile, is trapped in Ishbal along with Mustang and Scar. Romance, Adventure, Drama, Love Triangles, Surprises and one good time.
1. A Sin Repeated

**The Immortal Alchemist**

**Chapter One**

"A Sin Repeated"

A/N: I don't want to hold you up with notes, so I've included the full notes at the end of the chapter, including references, contact information, and timeline explanation. Special thanks to mah buddy, **BlueRush**, for helping with the title and for allowing me to use some things he created in this story.

: I don't want to hold you up with notes, so I've included the full notes at the end of the chapter, including references, contact information, and timeline explanation. Special thanks to mah buddy, for helping with the title and for allowing me to use some things he created in this story.**

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It was a dark night in Rush Valley, and down the cold street walked an even colder soul.

A young woman walked down the street, tucking a strand of her blonde hair back behind her ear and clutching her bag tightly. She was late getting home, having spent too much time at the shop, doing a last minute Automail repair. She was walking down an old stone street, which ran under a large bridge. She heard the clank of armor and looked around; but there was no one in the shadows. For a moment she thought it might have been a friend of hers, but there was no one there.

Then, slowly she saw a man wearing a large suit of armor with a skull-like face and a long strand of hair from the back walk out of the darkness. He held a gigantic butcher's cleaver in one hand, a long razor sharp knife in the other. The woman's eyes widened, and she took a step back, clutching her bag to her chest.

The armored man stepped forward, raising his knife above his head, and laughed. "I remember you, little girl. I almost chopped you up once when I was human." The armored man asked in a voice that sounded reminiscent of someone in a psyche ward.

"Y-You stay back!" The girl shouted. "I've got a wrench!"

"And I have a sword." Barry the Chopper replied.

Winry felt sweat run down the back of her neck. She started to turn and run, but Barry kicked her in the back and she fell to the ground. When Winry turned around, she saw Barry raising his butcher's cleaver high in the air, and she screamed loudly.

Suddenly there was a loud, metallic clank! She opened her eyes and saw another suit of armor on top of Barry, wrestling with him. Barry pushed the armored man off him, and impaled him with his knife.

The second armored man punched Barry, even though a knife had gone right through him.

Winry recognized the second man. "Al?" She gasped, realizing it was the younger Elric Brother.

Barry chopped Al's hands off, and then slammed his cleaver into Al's leg, cutting it off as well. When Al's armor fell to the ground, Barry decided to break his blood seal and kill Alphonse. However, as he chopped off Al's helmet he could find no blood seal.

"What?"

"Sorry, that one's controlled by Alchemy. I'm over here."

Barry turned around and saw a young boy in a black trenchcoat with a rattail haircut. The boy, whom Barry assumed was the other brother Elric, clapped his hands, smacked them on the ground; and a large spike of rock was transmuted and shot forward right into Barry's chest. It impaled him and stuck him to the side of the bridge.

"Ed?" Winry called, but when the boy stepped into the light of the streetlamp, he was not Edward Elric.

"No Winry, it's the other one." The human Alphonse Elric replied, with a small smile on his face.

"Oh that is so unfair." Barry complained.

Winry's mouth fell open, as if she was seeing a ghost. Al was surprised; he figured that Pinako would have sent Winry a letter, explaining the whole story. Winry took a step forward, still awe struck, not sure if it was him or not.

"A-Al? Is that really you?" She asked, but she knew it was. She may not have see Al in the flesh since she was a child, but she recognized him.

"Yeah. It's a long story." Al sighed in replied.

"Well tell me!" Winry nearly shouted, but then she paused and looked around. She saw Barry, and the false Alphonse, and she saw the real Al. But there was one thing she did not see, that she had assumed she would. One thing she wanted to see. She turned to Al, and asked him a question that hurt.

"Where's Ed?"

Al bit his lip. Pinako had not only not told Winry that Al was human again, but apparently she hadn't told him about Ed either.

**

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**The Philosopher's Stone**.

It is said, with that stone, anything is possible through Alchemy. The law of Equal Exchange can be ignored. You could transmute a mansion from mere grains of sand and dirt. Even the taboo, Human Alchemy, is possible. Some claim you can even revive the dead, though despite the rumors, I have never personally tried. (Not _with_ the stone anyway.) Not that what I did was much different. Anyone would think it was the same thing, though to me it was very different.

In all truth, it began ten years ago when my brother and I tried to bring our mother back from the dead, but that's a story I think you've already heard. My story begins on a train, when Colonel Roy Mustang summoned my brother and I to Eastern Headquarters. As I sat on that train, I never realized that would be the day we finally found the Philosopher's Stone . . . or the day the rest of my life would begin.

My name is Alphonse Elric, I am eighteen years old, and in the course of trying to find my brother, I started the worst war in my country's entire history.

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"Do you think this is about that bridge, Al?" A blonde haired boy with a red jacket asked his brother, a large suit of armor, who sat next to him on the brown train seat.

"Mmm... Could be Ed. You did break it, and it was the main supply route for that entire city." Alphonse, the talking armored suit, replied to his brother.

"I destroyed it? It was those thieves who destroyed it!" Edward, the shorter boy replied hostly.

" . . . you transmuted the cannon, brother." Al pointed out.

Ed sighed and looked out the window at the blur of greens and yellows and blues as the train sped through the countryside. It was true, only three days ago Edward had been chasing some thieves who decided to cross a bridge. Ed had transmuted a large cannon out of the ground and fired . . . he missed the thieves, but managed to take out the bridge they had been crossing.

"Technicality Alphonse." Ed replied, folding his hands behind his head and sitting back in his seat.

"Maybe brother, this is about that General you cussed out." Al suggested.

"He called me an insignificant midget!" Ed defended.

"He said, 'move aside little boy'." Al reminded him of the proper phrasing.

"'Little' is just another word for short." Ed responded, folding his arms and refusing to apologize for saying some really raw things to a high-ranking officer. Al shook his head, there were about a million things Ed had done wrong in the last couple months that Mustang could be mad about.

The train slowly came to a halt, and Ed and Al waited for the rest of the passengers to get off before they stood up. Finally Ed rose, and his brother followed suit, then the two began to go towards the exit of the train. Though before either could step off, two people stepped on the train, and Ed sighed. It wasn't often he came to them, so that meant he must really be in trouble.

The two people had wasted no time as they approached Ed and Al and one of them sat down on the bench-like-seat across from them. The man had his arms crossed, while the woman went through a door towards the front of the train where the conductor was waiting and wondering why someone was boarding his train when his schedule for the day was over.

"Fullmetal." The man said, looking up at the Elric Brothers.

"What do you want Colonel? Couldn't wait to chew me out about Marquis Bridge?" Ed asked, resting his chin on the palm of his metal hand.

The train began to move again, and though Al was curious about it, he said nothing. Ed didn't appear to care though, so Al decided just to wait for the Colonel to explain. A few moments later, Lieutenant Hawkeye returned and sat down next to the Colonel.

After about five minutes of silence, Ed's temper had boiled over with curiosity and he finally blurted something out. "Okay, so where are we going?"

"Impatient as always, Fullmetal." Mustang replied. "If you must know I got a letter from an old friend, and I've got to go to Hissegart. You're coming with me."

Ed and Al were both silent for a moment. Hissegart wasn't a very fond memory in their minds. After the initial remembrance of the problems in Hissegart three years ago, Ed snapped to his senses and looked up at Mustang.

"Why are you taking us?" He asked.

"You boys have been in the cave near Hissegart before, haven't you?" Mustang answered a question with a question, one of his many habits that annoyed Ed.

"You mean that cave where we fought that crab chimera?" Al asked, remembering the gigantic crab-like chimera that had been transmuted and left in a cavern the boys had been unlucky enough to find themselves in.

"That's the one, and since you've been there, you're going with me since I haven't." Mustang explained. Ed sighed loudly, as if he was annoyed, but Mustang paid no attention to his obvious complaint.

"If the letter I got is accurate, we could use an extra pair of alchemists for this one, Fullmetal." Mustang reassured the elder Elric.

The train ride to Hissegart was long and uneventful, despite his cryptic manner, Mustang did not say anymore about why they were going to an old, creepy cave that was frequently used for bandits and thieves as a hideout. Ed and Al were in the dark, until they arrived at the train station. Ed looked out the window and saw the large gates that led to the main city. There was no one around. Ten minutes later, as they made their way through the town, Ed noticed it was completely empty.

"Hey Colonel, what's going on? Where is everyone?"

"That's a good question Edward. That's what we're here to find out." Mustang replied.

"What do you mean, Colonel?" Al asked as the group of four walked through the business district. It was deserted, not a soul in sight. There was no sound save only their footsteps and the wind blowing. Al had a bad feeling wash over him as they walked by the road that once led to the Alchemyworks, a place the Elric brothers and Mustang had been before.

Finally, Mustang began to explain. "Fullmetal, this town was full of people, full of life . . . I received a letter this morning stating that the town had suddenly become empty overnight. Apparently there was a bright light across the sky, and when my contact came into town to investigate, he found no one."

Ed crossed his arms, he did not like the sound of that. "A bright light, huh? You mean, Alchemic Light?"

"That's what it sounded like." Mustang replied. "A transmutation that lights up the entire sky, and then a city is empty. Doesn't sound good to me, Fullmetal."

"Brother . . ."

"Yeah, I know Al." Ed replied before Al got a chance to finish his thought.

Mustang raised an eyebrow, and was about to ask what they were talking about when he heard the sound of screaming from a short distance away. All four of them hurried up the street, rounded the side of a large building, and found themselves on one side of a large steel-wire fence. On the other side was a man lying against the side of a building. He wore a white cloak and hood, but most of it was covered in a dark crimson stain. The man also had only one arm, but from the rate he was bleeding that was most certainly a recent development.

Standing above the blood-soaked man, was another man who showed no pity or compassion on his face. A tall man with dark skin, light hair and red eyes. This tall man had the sleeve of one of his arms rolled up, revealing a very advanced tattoo pattern on his arm. Ed gasped as he recognized the dark skinned, light haired man.

"Alchemist of Hissegart!" The Ishbalian known only as 'Scar' spoke in a booming voice. "Though you are not of State Certification, and not my chosen enemy, what you have done this day is unforgivable in the eyes of God! I will allow you a moment to pray, and I hope you don't try to stab me again. Your death need not be painful."

"Scar! Stop!" Ed shouted, and Scar's red eyes moved to the corner of his face as he spotted the group.

"Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. Were you also a part of this mad scheme?" Scar asked. The alchemist in white tried to stand up and flee as Scar's attention was diverted to the group of four on the other side of the fence. Scar grabbed the back of the man's head and by the time Hawkeye fired her first shot, the man's head had exploded and Scar had used his body as a shield for the bullet.

Scar threw the man's body aside, jumped high into the air, and landed on one of the stacked crates outside of the white building next to where he had murdered the alchemist in white. Scar jumped off the crate as Mustang snapped his fingers and the crate exploded, and Scar came down on the fence, destroying it with his arm as he went. As his arm transmuted the fence, it slowed his descent and allowed him to land on his feet.

Ed's arm was transformed in a blaze of blue light into a blade, and he ran forward towards Scar. This only caused Mustang and Hawkeye to curse, since neither of them could attack Scar with Ed in the line of either fire or gunfire.

Ed slashed at Scar's stomach with his automail blade, but Scar tilted back and avoided it. The Ishbalian warrior clapped his hand onto the ground and red light pulsed through the cement street; and then the street turned into a gigantic crater as alchemy worked to dissolve away everything else. Ed and the others wound up falling down, though Scar stood tall and strong.

"Fullmetal Alchemist, answer me! Did you partake in the slaughter?" Scar asked, a newfound anger surging deep in his voice. Ed looked up at Scar; secretly clapping his hands while Scar's attention was on Ed's face.

"The only slaughter I've seen today is the one YOU just caused!" Ed placed his hands on the edge of his automail leg, which transformed the foot into a spike and extended it at Scar at amazing speeds. Scar sidestepped the attacked, however, and then walked towards Ed's side. He reached down and placed his hand on Ed's face.

". . . May you go swiftly to God." Scar whispered; and a second later Alphonse had tackled him from his side, sending Scar flying off Ed only seconds before the elder Elric would have wound up with his face as the second crater.

"Thanks Al!" Ed called, and then he stood up and faced Scar. Scar stared back at him.

"Alright, I've had enough of this." Mustang snapped his fingers and an explosion rocked the place where Scar stood. A second snap which resulted in a second blast. A third snap, and now the smoke and fire was rising higher and higher into the sky. Carefully Hawkeye, a pistol in each hand, approached the crater-inside-a-crater. The flames had died down now, and she looked and saw a hole in the ground that Scar transmuted, leading into a sewer.

"He escaped into the sewers, sir." Hawkeye informed the Colonel.

"What? Again? Damn!" Mustang looked at the hole angrily, but he had other business to attend to. He had to figure out where the population of Hissegart had gone, and from the sound of Scar's ranting, and the description from his friend, he believed alchemists were involved.

Ed, however, had no such business. After fixing his leg via alchemy, he ran forward and jumped down into the hole that Scar made.

"Edward! What are you doing?" Al ran to the edge of the hole, and found it was too narrow for his gigantic armored body to fit. He sighed and looked at Mustang. "You can't let him fight Scar alone!"

Mustang agreed. "The shrimp will be fried if he goes alone. Lieutenant Hawkeye, follow Fullmetal and make sure he comes out alive."

"Yes, sir." Hawkeye dropped down into the hole in the ground without a second thought. Al sighed, wishing he could go too, but he could not. The sewer was filled with water, and the last thing Al needed was to accidentally drop into water deep enough to rub his blood seal off. He turned to the Colonel, who motioned for Al to follow him.

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Ed was running down the slimy sewer, waist deep in disgusting water as he chased Scar. He knew the Ishbalian had come this way, because he could hear his footsteps. Just then, Ed heard more footsteps that came from behind him. Ed's arm was still a blade from before, and he inched up to the wall of the sewer, waiting for Scar to reveal himself.

And Scar did reveal that he was right behind Edward, also inched onto the sewer wall. As Ed backed up, Scar grabbed the back of his head.

"Pray Fullmetal Alchemi--argh!"

Ed spun around and slashed Scar's stomach with his automail blade, it cause some hair to be yanked out, but of the two Ed had come up better. Scar stumbled back a bit as his dark blood began to spill into the already putrid sewer slim and he growled with fury. Scar charged again, and Ed braced himself for an attack.

Then gunshots rang out, the echo magnified by the tiny sewer. Scar had avoided them only narrowly, and Ed looked over his shoulder to see Hawkeye running towards him, guns blazing. Scar was forced into a retreat and the Serial Killer destroyed the wall beside him and ran through. Apparently on the other side of the wall was an odd room, looking nothing like the rest of the sewer.

"Are you alright Ed?" Hawkeye asked as she reached his side.

"Yeah, but we've gotta chase him down! C'mon Lieutenant!" With that, Ed took off before she had a chance to stop him. With no other choice, Hawkeye followed Ed closely through the sewer tunnel.

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Al was worried about his brother, but he couldn't help him right now. Instead he followed Mustang, reassuring himself mentally that between themselves, Ed and the Lieutenant were more than a match for Scar. Mustang didn't seem worried at all, though his face wore that same somber expression it did on most of the occasions Al was around him. Roy led him into the caverns just outside of the railroad leading into town, and memories returned to Al about the crab chimera. Memories also returned about Armony, and her father the Professor, and the strange alchemist called Camilla who was willing to kill an innocent little girl just to get her own selfish desires.

Then Al's memories stopped as he looked at the cavern ahead. There was a large, round steel door separating them from the path ahead -- something that was not there the last time Al had been here.

"Colonel, that's new." Al said, pointing at the door. Roy lifted his hand, his fingers in the snap position when Al quickly stopped him. "Wait Colonel! These caves are unstable! You could cause a cave in!"

Mustang nodded, and instead of him blowing the door into billions of pieces, Alphonse approached and drew a transmutation circle in the dirt in front of the door. He pressed his hands on the edges when he was done, and blue light illuminated the caverns. A hole was transmuted inside the door, and Al and the Colonel walked through it.

Into an amazing room. Al gasped, and Mustang's eyes widened slightly.

"What is this place?" Al wondered aloud.

"Exactly what we were looking for." Mustang replied.

Instead of the dirty cave floors, the area beyond the door was paved with white tiles, and there were golden lines drawn on the tiles. As Al looked at the lines, he realized that they formed a gigantic transmutation circle, unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Even the Seven Point Array, which is for the Philosopher's Stone, was not this complicated. This array seemed to have Nine Points, and Al was blown away. He managed to looked over at Mustang, who was bent down examining the array, and seemed as awestruck as Al. Though he didn't show it like Ed and Al did, Roy Mustang was still an alchemist, and a Nine Point Array was something he had never even thought possible.

"What do you suppose it does, Colonel?" Al asked.

"Not a clue Al." Mustang replied, standing back up and rubbing his chin. "Never seen a transmutation circle like this. I doubt we should stand in the middle, though."

"Good idea." Al backed up away from the white tiles, standing in the doorway. Roy started to walk towards him, but suddenly the wall exploded and Scar ran inside the room, and inside the circle. He was followed by Ed, who was chasing him like a fiend, and Hawkeye who stayed at the blasted wall and fired her guns, using the broken wall as cover.

Neither Ed nor Scar saw the transmutation circle. Al tried to call out to his brother, but it was too late. Scar slammed his hand down on the ground, intent on sending a Shockwave at Ed, and instead he activated the Nine Point Array. A white light began to glow from all of the white tiles, and a gold light from the circle. Ed, Roy and Scar stopped, awestruck as light consumed their bodies.

There was a flash so bright that neither Hawkeye or Al could continue looking at their friends; and when the light disappeared, all three men had vanished with it.

"B-Brother?" Al looked around the room, but Ed was gone, no sign of him to be found anyway. Al started towards the room, but Hawkeye shouted out to him.

"Stay where you are Alphonse! It's not safe to step on that circle. We don't know what it does."

"But Lieutenant! Brother! And the Colonel!" Al called back, Hawkeye remained adamant.

"I know Al, I know, but we can't help them if we're acting foolish." She insisted, though as Al looked into her deep eyes, he saw that she was just as worried as he was. Though she was a professional, and she knew how to contain her emotions in high-stress situations like this one.

"Welcome."

Hawkeye spun around and aimed his guns at the North side of the room; Al looked across the transmutation tiles. A man in a white robe was standing at the far northern end of the room.

"I mean you no harm." The main with the gray beard and matching hair said. "I do not have much time left. That Ishbalian with the x-shaped scar killed most of my friends, and my wounds are deep so I will die soon too."

Neither Hawkeye or Al spoke as the man removed his robe to reveal a white shirt and matching pants, stained his blood.

"Are you alright, sir?" Hawkeye asked.

"No. I am dying. I could stop it, of course, but I was selfish to do what I did. I alone thought it was a bad idea, but so strong were my desires that I went along with it anyway. It is ironic that the Ishbalian man would kill all but the one who wanted death." The gray bearded man said, as he stepped into the circle. When Al and Hawkeye saw it was safe, they slowly approached him.

"Sir . . . what is this transmutation array?" Alphonse asked, but the man ignored him.

"We transmuted Hissegart. We destroyed every last person in the city to make it. I guess we believed the lies that horrible woman told us. It was our own fault, I see now."

"Alphonse, do you know what he's talking about?" Hawkeye asked as she approached Al's side, still holding her guns, but holding them down so not to appear threatening to the man.

"They destroyed the city to make it . . ." Al repeated. Then it dawned on him what the man was talking about. "Y-You made the Philosopher's Stone?"

The man looked at Al and smiled. "A Alchemist! Yes, Yes I did! WE did! We made the Stone of Sages! The Philosopher's Stone! And with it I could save my life... but I deserve these wounds, that is why I gave them to myself."

Al and Hawkeye were even more puzzled. The man had been speaking like Scar had wounded him, but now he claimed to have done it himself?

"You see, when that scarred man came, I hid. I hid from my friends, and took the stone with me. They all died from that man, and I hid. Now I deserve death for abandoning my friends. Here, why don't you have this Mr. Armored Alchemist!"

The man reached into his robe, which was discarded on the ground in front of him, and pulled out a blood red stone that was larger than his head. Al gasped; it was the Philosopher's Stone, the real one. The man walked towards Al and handed it to him, then he smiled, laughed; and collapsed on his back. He was still laughing while he began to cough.

"Wait! Sir! What did this circle do? Where is my brother?" Al tried to ask the man, but the man's coughing turned violent, and then he was silent. Too silent to be alive. Al sighed and looked down at the Philosopher's Stone.

He found it, but he had lost his brother.

**

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A month after Al found the stone, he still hadn't heard a word from his brother. That is when he decided on doing something that he knew was stupid. The last time he tried it, it had cost him a lot. This time it may cost him his life. Alphonse Elric was willing to take that chance if it meant finding his brother.

He was in Resembool, his hometown. He sat on the splotch of earth that had once been his house, until he and Ed burnt it down years ago. In the dirt was a transmutation circle he had drawn, and in the middle of that circle were quite a few different elements.

"I must be out of my mind." Al scratched the back of his head, still marveling at having hair once more. Alphonse was no longer a suit of armor with a soul attached to it. He was able to use the Philosopher's Stone, with a little help from Izumi, to create a new body for him -- proving it was the true Philosopher's Stone.

Alphonse, though younger than his brother, was actually taller than Ed. Al figured that when he did find Ed, that would upset him. His hair was light brown, taking after his mother's. He had a rattail haircut, and he had a whole new wardrobe. He was used to the armor, so it was actually a pain finding clothes, but he had been able to.

Al now wore a blue shirt, with an alchemic symbol on the left shoulder; the same symbol Izumi had on her chest and Ed had on the back of his jacket. Alphonse wore an oversized black trenchcoat, with the same symbol on his left shoulder of the jacket as on the shirt. He had black pants that matches his jacket, and he carried a black satchel around with him as well. It was filled with a pen, several blank pieces of paper, and several pieces of paper with alchemic arrays draw on them. Al was not his brother -- he needed a circle for alchemy, so now he had a wide selection of pre-drawn circles for emergencies. Al's gloves and boots were black, and the gloves looked almost identical to the gauntlets he wore while a suit of armor. Metal was attached to the gloves at the middle of them, and over the midsection of his palm and the back of his hand; between his knuckles and his wrist. His boots were in the same fashion, with metal on the toe, heel and in a strip across the top of the boot.

The stone that allowed every law of alchemy to be broken. Having his body back, however, was not as nice as Al had hoped it would be. Not with his brother gone. Al didn't even know if Ed was alive.

But he knew how to find out. Alphonse had seen The Gate once before, when he and Ed foolishly tried to revive their mother. Al knew that through The Gate were the dead souls used to create Homunculi. Al had the Philosopher's Stone, meaning he should be able to access the gate's power -- which, in theory, meant he could bring his brother back.

There was just one thing Al did not count on. As he drew the Seven Point Array, and placed the Stone in the center with the materials, he did not stop to wonder what would happen if Ed's soul was not beyond The Gate. What if Ed was still alive? What if he, Mustang and Scar were all still alive somewhere, someplace? Al never considered the possibility of what could happen.

Instead, he activated the circle, and in front of him appeared the gate as energy swirled around him and red transmutation light ignited the sky. He knew by now that villagers would be gathering at their windows, seeing the light, and from the corner of his eye he saw a light flicker to life in the window of the Rockbell home.

Then, Alphonse learned what would happen if he tried to bring back someone who was not dead.

Al screamed, the Gate was going crazy. He lifted his hands from the stone and began to scramble backwards, trying to get away; but the stone shattered, and a boiling hot piece of the stone shot into Al's left arm right at the elbow joint, and Alphonse screamed; then he blacked out and saw no more.

**

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**

When Al's eyes opened, he looked up at a familiar ceiling. He had seen it every night that he and Ed stayed in Resembool after they burnt their own house. He was on the couch in the Rockbell's living room. As Al grunted awake and sat up, he heard a voice.

"Jeez boy, what were you thinking?"

Al sighed and lay back down. "I had the stone Auntie. I should've been able to . . ." Al trailed off.

"Blasted Alchemists." Pinako Rockbell muttered. "Always thinking you can top nature. You'd think seven years as a walking tin can would teach you a lesson. No . . . you're too stubborn, just like your brother."

Al sighed and finally to face Pinako, the small woman was staring at him with eyes full of anger, annoyance and a deep concern. She had always treated the Elrics like her own, and she was never above telling them the mistakes they made.

"Auntie . . . what happened to me?" Al asked. He could not feel the majority of his left arm -- where the stone shard had hit him.

"You had a red jewel stuck in your arm. Severed some nerves. I patched you up, but the damage wasn't pretty. You could feel pain for a long time." Pinako told him, never one to sugar coat things. "Still . . . you're a strong boy, Alphonse. Your arm was pretty torn up, but it's healing nicely. You should have full use of your arm again in a month or two."

Al nodded, and then he realized something. "Auntie! The Philosopher's Stone, what happened to it?"

Pinako raised a wrinkled eyebrow. "You mean that big broken red rock? I've got it here. You can have it, as long as you don't get anymore pieces stuck inside your body, ya'hear?"

Al nodded again, and then he rolled over and Pinako assumed he went back to sleep. The combination of medicines and injuries made him as tired as is humanly possible. Pinako walked off, glad that Winry wasn't around to see all of this. She was now living in Rush Valley, working as an Automail Mechanic full-time.

Al was lying on the couch, feeling intensive pain from his arm, and feeling as tired as he had ever been. However, Al had one more emotion mixing in his system. Hope. The transmutation had been a failure, and a painful one at that -- but with the Stone, it should have worked. There was only one explanation for his failure.

He did not revive Ed, because Ed was not dead.

So as he gave up his fight against sleep, Alphonse silently vowed to learn what that Nine Point Array had been, and to find his brother.

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**Author's Notes:** Here's the extended notes.

1) **At what point in this series does this fanfic take place?**

Seeing as how it is using elements of both the manga and anime, it's hard to say – but basically it occurs AFTER Greed has died, but that's it. Martel did not die, Al did not find out Bradley was a Homunculus, Scar did not destroy Lior; none of those things happened.

2) **Hissegart Reference**

In this chapter there was references to a town called "Hissegart", as well as someone named "Armony" who is father was a Professor. These are references to "Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel", which is a Playstation Two game written by Arakawa-sama. If you haven't played it, I highly suggest renting or buying it. eBay and Amazon should both have it online -- good luck finding it in stores, it's an older game, as far as games go. The Crab Chimera thing refers to a boss fight in that game.

3) **What are the pairings for this fanfic?**

There will be MANY relationships in the course of this fic, just as people in real life have many. Some will be meaningful, and some won't. (again, like real life.) If you see a ship you **do not** like, KEEP READING! Many ships, even ones I don't ship, will be appearing in this fic. Cause again, LIKE REAL LIFE. (In the end though, methinks my ships will win. XD) One will even be a love triangle between three of the most important characters of all. (I bet you can guess who!) There may also be some **Character Death**, but not till much later on. Also, oddly enough, Ed is my absolute favorite character in FMA, but my first FMA fic is Al-centered. Is that weird to anyone but me? XD

4) **Where can I go if I want to see the newest chapters BEFORE they're on or OR Where can I go to ask you lots of tedious questions without the hassle of emailing you?**

Why, the Sonic Rapid Board's Non-Sonic Fanfiction Section, of course! Did I mention we have fun chat and RPs there? Well I did now. (Hey, I'm an Admin, I gotta advertise!)

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In the words of Montgomery Gentry: "HELL YA!" Reviews make me happy, which makes me write new chapters faster! Plus the more reviews I get, the longer I'll make the fic. So you have good reason to review:D


	2. The Beginning of a Journey

**The Immortal Alchemist**

**Chapter Two**

"The Beginning of a Journey"

**Dedication**: The very first review was left by my good friend and long-time reader; **Caitlyn**. Thanks dear, I appreciate it!

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Three days had passed since Edward activated the Nine Point Array, and the State Military had surrounded the empty city of Hissegart and investigated top to bottom, but even the top State Alchemists did not recognize the symbol etched into the floor of the hidden room in the sewers of the city. While the military slept, and there were minimal guards, two people walked through the white tiled room with the alchemic array, speaking to one other.

The first person was a woman. She was tall, with dark hair that flowed down her back, and covered part of her face, keeping her eyes shadowed by the long bangs in front. She wore a black dress that showed off a lot of cleavage, and she had a red tattoo of a strange serpent like creature on her chest. One of her gloved hands was tucking a stand of hair behind her ear while he companion spoke to her.

The companion, a man, was tall with an aged face and short black hair, neatly trimmed. He wore an black eye patch over his left eye, and was dressed in a full military uniform -- blue, the color of officers. He had stripes on his shoulder, two thin gold one on either side of a thick gold one. That was the sign only of the highest ranks, and because of the one-of-a-kind four stars that sat on top of the center gold stripe, it identified this man as the Fuhrer of the Military; the absolute leader. The Fuhrer had a sword around his waist, and unknown to any who looked at him; he also had four more swords strapped on his back, two on either side.

"What happened Lust?" Fuhrer Bradley asked as he looked at the white tiled floor with the gold transmutation circle engraved on it.

"That damn Ishbalian showed up." Lust replied, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall near the spot Scar had destroyed with his arm. "So did the Fullmetal boy."

Fuhrer Bradley, who was in fact the unique Homunculus Pride, turned to Lust instead of looking at the transmutation array. "Any sign of Mustang or Elric?" He asked.

"No, and I haven't seen Scar either. To be honest, I didn't even know about the nine point array -- it was something those alchemists were making on their own." Lust informed the other Homunculus.

"Hmm ... so we have no idea what happened to any of them?" Pride replied, rubbing his chin as he looked around the room.

"No. Any word from our Master on what to do?" Lust asked, uncrossing her arms and looking down at the Nine Point Array.

"All our Master had to say to me was 'make sure you find out what happened to the stone'." Bradley replied. "The Philosopher's Stone has always been our primary concern."

Lust's eyes continued to graze the alchemic array on the floor, and questions soared through her mind. However, for now she had to address Pride's latest inquiry. "I don't know where the stone is. I checked all of the alchemists bodies . . . the only explanation I can think of is that the younger Elric has it."

Pride gave this issue some thought. Of course, Pride was the President of the State, the Fuhrer of the Military and the only Homunculus who could age like a normal human. Because of this, he was their master's chief lieutenant, for unlike the other Homunculi, he could not be replaced without much hassle and aggravation on their master's part. This gave him unique authority.

"Well, then, we had better find him and take it." Pride decided; but at that moment, a voice spoke from behind them.

"No. Wait for him to come to you."

Fuhrer Bradley and Lust both turned around, and standing in the shadows was their master; the one who had created Pride and Greed, and who had made sure all of the others were servants as well; and the alchemist who claimed to be able to turn them human with the stone.

"Oh?" Pride raised an eyebrow.

"Alphonse will want to research that transmutation circle he saw swallow his brother and Roy Mustang. He'll need State information -- I believe that he will apply to be a State Alchemist." Their Master said.

"And I assume you want me to grant his request?" Bradley asked.

"Yes," His master responded. "Make him a State Alchemist, and ensure he has resources at his disposal. He'll turn to the Philosopher's Stone to find Edward, and that is when we shall strike."

"Hold on." Lust objected, remembering all of this from before. "You said nearly the same thing when Ed applied to be a State Alchemist, and that didn't work so well."

"It only failed because _you_ allowed that stupid alchemic cult to make this place. Do you question my orders, Lust?"

Lust knew better than that. She had not been made back in the days when Greed, one of the homunculi personally created by their master, rebelled. Greed betrayed their master and went solo . . . and was sealed up for years. She shook her head 'no' and was relieved when her master walked away.

"So then, we wait." Lust said to Pride.

"Indeed." Fuhrer Bradley replied. "We'll just have to wait until he comes to us."

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In Eastern Headquarters, Mustang's team was sitting around the office, none of them too happy. Apparently, the news had spread fast -- two famous State Alchemist had vanished into thin air after a transmutation went wrong. Havoc, Breda, Falman, Furey and Hawkeye were gathered around the office, Mustang's desk was empty. They had received an official notice from Central that the new Head of Eastern HQ was on his way.

"Who do you suppose it is?" Sergeant Major Kain Furey asked, scratching Black Hayate's ear sadly. Furey was obviously trying to make conversation, but it was not so easy. They were all thinking the same thing.

"There's no tellin'." Lieutenant Jean Havoc replied. He was sucking down a cigarette, and trying to forget that his friend was gone now. Believed dead by the entire State Military.

"What I don't get is why they're sending someone to replace the Colonel." Falman said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. His thin slit eyes were staring at the desk previously occupied by Mustang, and he shook his head. "Why not promote from within?"

"There's no proof that he's even dead." Furey said, determined to hold out even the slightest chance of hope.

"That's true." Hawkeye said, but her voice was anything but hopeful. "But there's even less proof that he's alive."

Havoc raised an orange eyebrow. "Out of all of us, I figured you'd be the one hoping the most."

". . . Even if he is alive, he is not here." Hawkeye replied, looking out the window at the gray sky that had covered East City. "There's no telling where he is, or what condition he's in if he is alive. I do promise you all, as I do him, that if any information comes through I will see to it that we go through every possible channel to find the Colonel. However, we cannot dwell on this. We have a job to do."

"How can you be that way, Lieutenant?" Falman asked.

"I learned from the Colonel. No matter how much he wanted to go running off after Hughes' killer, he didn't." Hawkeye replied. This statement made no sense, since they all knew that Mustang had investigated the murder of Maes Hughes with all due diligence.

That is when Hawkeye held up a sheet of paper; it had a few words written on it in large handwriting. 'Not Safe To Speak Here.' After everyone else in the room had read it, and realized Hawkeye's meaning, they all nodded, and then she tore off the sheet from the notebook and put it in her pocket.

"Geez ... first Hughes, now Mustang... I'm thinking about getting out of the military." Breda sighed, scratching his head.

"How can you say that? Would you really quit our Majestic Military?" A booming voice spoke; suddenly everyone in the room became quiet and turned to the door, where a gigantic man with a single strand of blonde hair was standing in the doorway, sparkles gleaming around him.

"M-Major Armstrong." Havoc had a horrible fear in his voice. "Y-You're not our new Colonel, are you?"

Armstrong's face broke into a large grin, and as he usually did at moments like this, he ripped the shirt from his back and posed. "Indeed! I have been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and shall now be posted as second-in-command of Eastern Headquarters. Though I am deeply saddened that this promotion has only come because of Roy's misfortune, but I shall fulfill my duty as always!"

Havoc looked as if he might start sobbing. Hawkeye, however, raised an eyebrow.

"Second-in-command? So you're here to replace me, not the Colonel." She said matter-of-factly.

"Not replace, Miss Hawkeye, you've merely moved down the ladder." A voice spoke from behind Armstrong's gigantic body mass. "Lieutenant Colonel put your shirt back on and keep it on. I won't tell you again, the next time you take it off you're getting a demerit."

Armstrong turned around, and behind him stood Frank Archer, the pale-faced, dark-haired man with no sense of humor who had replaced Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. Archer had once been a Lieutenant Colonel, but now he had Colonel stars on his shoulders. Archer walked over to Mustang's desk, with no regard as to how this might make the others feel, and he sat down.

"I, Colonel Frank Archer, am now in complete command from now on for the entire Eastern Headquarters." Archer informed them, he had a very sinister smirk on his face and his dark eyes looked at all of them. No one had warm looks to return to him, and Hawkeye had the coldest of all.

"Now you may all have had it easy while this place was under less-than-adequate leadership, but that is over starting today. Things will change. This office will start running a tight ship." Archer had nerve. He mocked Mustang's memory in front of all of them, and there was no doubt in Archer's mind that if he burst into fire, they wouldn't even give him a bucket of spit.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with the gate guards. It's too easy to get in here." Archer said, standing up and leaving the room. Everyone saluted him, for they had no choice, but as soon as he left, everyone glared at the door. Armstrong looked downright offended by his orders to keep his shirt on.

"Now I really want to quit the military." Breda sighed, putting his head in his hands.

". . . I may agree with you." Armstrong muttered, crossing his gigantic arms. "How can that ungrateful man expect me to keep cloth covering THESE mountain-like muscles I have worked so hard to build?"

"Enough." Hawkeye spoke up, standing up. "None of us are happy about this, but there's nothing we can do about it. No one here is quitting the Military."

Havoc looked over at Hawkeye, a cigarette in his mouth and a sigh on his face. "Give it up L. T., we were all loyal to Mustang, not that Archer basta-"

"I wouldn't think for a second that Archer is a good man or a good commander, but just like Colonel Mustang worked for people he disliked, distrusted and disapproved of, we will have to too." Hawkeye told them all, there was a lot of muttering and sighing, but none of them quit.

**

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It had been a month since Ed and Roy vanished, and it had been almost a month since Archer took over as head of Eastern Headquarters. Al stood in the remains of his house, where he had tried the transmutation of his brother last night. He had assumed the transmutation failed, since the Philosopher's Stone had exploded, but until he saw with his own eyes, he could not be sure. Besides, he knew the risky side of Human Alchemy, and while he was lucky to have not died, he wanted to make sure he did not accidentally create a Homunculus.

However, when he returned to the remains of his house, there was nothing. No body, no failed transmutation, no homunculus; there was nothing at all. Al scratched the back of his neck where hair met skin, and looked at the ground. He noticed a shard of the Philosopher's Stone on the ground; Granny Pinako had already given him every piece she found, but it looked like she missed one.

That is, until Al bent down and picked up the stone. It felt different from the Philosopher's Stone. Al gasped.

"A Crimson Stone? How did this . . ." Al stopped, a horrible feeling sank into him. He had a bad feeling. Could this mean . . .? No. That was impossible. Al decided to concentrate on finding his brother, instead of worrying that he may have created something horrible.

Al sighed, took a deep breath, and decided it was time he got out of town. He would have to deal with this situation, if it even became a situation, later. Al wondered for a moment if he should tell Pinako his plan to join the Military and become a State Alchemist like his brother was, but he decided not to. She would only complain and tell him that her son, his wife, and now Al's brother had all died in the Military. However, Al knew he had to do this. It was the only way he could find his brother, and he needed that to be done.

"I'm sorry Auntie Pinako." He whispered to the wind, and he turned and walked down the dirt path that led to the train station. Alphonse Elric was determined to find out what that Nine Point Array was, and if his brother really was alive or not.

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The sound of a human scream is a horrible thing, especially when it echoes through a large, mostly empty stone room. The room was made of orange sand, brick and cement; and the scream came from the throat of Roy Mustang as pain infected his body, concentrated mostly at the right cheek of his face.

Mustang was on his knees, his Military Jacket gone and blood staining his black undershirt. A dark skinned man with red eyes was holding a large, burning hot stone in his hand and pressing it against Roy's face. Roy was screaming in pain, feeling his flesh burnt. Finally, the Ishbalian man took the hot rock off Mustang's face, and the Military Colonel slumped forward, his head between his knees coughing and grunting in hideous, horrible pain.

"Do you feel the pain of having your flesh burnt off, Flame Alchemist?" The Ishbalian man asked. He had the typical dark skin and red eyes, and his dark hair was down around his waist. He wore a gold chain around his neck, with the same alchemic symbol on the end as the one on Ed's jacket. The Ishbalian dropped the stone to the ground; the flesh on his hand was burnt off.

"We found you at the Array. I recognize you, Roy Mustang. You are one of those who destroyed our city in the war years ago. I cannot forget your face, for it was in an explosion you created that claimed the life of my wife and son." The Ishbalian spat on Roy, but the Flame Alchemist only grinned.

"With a husband like you, I probably did her a favor." Mustang replied. In truth, he was ashamed of what he did in Ishbal, but he did not respond well to torture, and if he was going to die today, he was going to die insulting the man who claimed his life.

It had been one month since the alchemic accident at the Nine Point Array, and Mustang had gotten used to some horrible treatment by his captors. As it turned out, the Nine Point Array was used to transport matter over a long distance, and the three men who were trapped inside the circle when it was activated were transferred to a deep part of the Ishbalian Desert.

Almost at once, the three had been captured by a group of Ishbalians, all of whom had long hair and wore golden chains with alchemic symbols. While Roy had been locked up in a cell next to Ed for a month, only seeing their captors when they brought food (which was always a small amount so they would stay physically weak), on this day he was taken to this room and tortured by this Ishbalian man who did not speak his name.

"Take him back to the others, let them see what we did to him before we strike at the scarred one."

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In a dark room in the Ishbalian prison of sand, brick and cement, Scar was sitting in one cell on one side of a hallway. Across from his stone prison cell was a matching cell that contained Edward Elric, who was leaning against the bars of his cage with an angry scowl on his face. Scar looked over at the Fullmetal Alchemist; he had not looked to him since they were brought there, but suddenly Scar decided to.

"Fullmetal Alchemist." Scar called.

"What do you want?" Ed asked over his shoulder.

"Do you not wonder why our alchemy does nothing in this place?" Scar asked.

Ed was suddenly intrigued, and since they were in Ishbal, he turned around and looked at Scar. "You know why it hasn't worked?"

When Ed was first locked up, he clapped his hands and tried to transmute his way out of the cage. Mustang had tried snapping his fingers, and Scar tried using his arm -- all of them failed.

"Alchemy cannot be used in this Holy Place. It is an old temple, long forgotten by my people except for the 'Abandoned'." Scar replied.

Suddenly the door at the far end of the hallway swung open and two Ishbalian men, with long hair and gold chains, walked in carrying Mustang. They roughly threw him into the cell next to Ed, and then they walked away. Ed gasped when he saw Roy's face burnt, and his shirt bloodied. It was a horrible sight to see.

"What happened to you?" Ed asked, his golden eyes wide.

"They tortured me, Fullmetal." Roy replied. "They held a searing hot stone to my face, beat me with sticks, and kicked me in the ribs. And as they were dragging me out, they said something about the 'scarred one' being next." Mustang's eyes looked over at Scar, but the Ishbalian shrugged it off.

"These Ishbalians are traitors to Ishbala." Scar informed them. "They use alchemy for their own benefit. They have since our home was destroyed by State Alchemist."

Ed scoffed. "Well, that's pretty hypocritical, considering YOU use alchemy too."

Scar looked over at Edward and he shook his head. "I do Ishbal's will, that is why he gave me this cursed arm."

"No Scar, you are the traitor to Ishbal." The man with long black hair who had tortured Roy had just walked into the room, his hands behind his back and his red eyes looking at Scar with hatred.

"I am the traitor? You perform Alchemy!" Scar shouted.

"Yet you are the one who claims to be 'The Right Hand of Destruction', or 'Ishbala's Right Hand'. To give yourself such a name is a disgrace on Ishbala! You shall die for your crimes against our country and religion, but first you will be tortured as these alchemist shall be." The Ishbalian with long black hair snarled. He pushed a strand of that hair behind his ear, to reveal a long tattoo on his neck. When Scar saw it, he gasped and looked horrified.

"You, scarred man, I have changed my mind about. I will torture you last. I want to take my time and savor your pain, traitor." The tattooed man turned and exited the room, but he did not close the door of the prison hallway behind him.

"What's the deal?" Ed asked Scar, seeing the look of pure shock on his face. "Who was that guy?"

"I know not his name, Fullmetal Alchemist." Scar replied, dropping to his knees and his face still in a state of shock and awe. It was like Scar had seen a ghost. "I only know him by the name 'Dragon', due to his tattoo. He was the one who led a group of Ishbalian away from Ishbal, deeper into the desert, after our home was destroyed by the State. They swore they would learn alchemy, and how to stop it, so they could have revenge."

Mustang leaned against the wall, his burnt face giving him pain. He lifted his gloved hand and snapped; and there were no flames, though the circle on his glove was intact. He shook his head, and spoke quietly.

"Looks like they did learn how to stop it. At least, stop our alchemy."

"What do you mean?" Ed asked, turning from Scar across from him to Mustang in the cage next to him. Scar also looked at the State Alchemist Colonel.

"When Dragon burnt my face . . . the rock he picked up was cool. He used alchemy to super heat it. I'm not sure how, but he did it." Mustang informed the other two. " . . . it may have been the necklace he wore." Mustang suddenly added, as if he had just remembered something.

"What do you mean?" Ed asked.

"A long time ago, there was a State Alchemist who got his certification because he discovered an array that disrupted transmutation circles. It broke the circle of energy and made alchemist unable to perform alchemy. That same State Alchemist was said to have a secret charm so he could use alchemy when no one else could. Maybe somehow these guys found that Reverse Alchemy Array, and recreated it and the charm." Mustang theorized.

"Great, so we're trapped here, unable to use alchemy while our enemies can, and we're going to be tortured? Sounds fun." Ed's sarcasm was boiling over, as was his temper. Eh, at least the captors had yet to make any remark about his height, which was always a good thing for Ed.

However, if it was his choice between graphic torture and being called the world's smallest infant bean; he'd probably choose the latter of the two.

Then, through the open door came two more Ishbalians. These two approached Ed's cage, and then looked down at him with emotionless faces and blank stares. Ed gulped, and realized now was the time for his torture. As they opened his cell door and walked in towards him, Ed darted forward and rammed his metal knee into one of the Ishbalian men's groin, sending him falling like a cut tree. The other man reached for Ed head, but Ed socked him in the face with his automail arm, knocking him back into the bars.

Ed kneeled down next to the unconscious Ishbalian and started feeling around his body for a key to the cells, so he could unlock Mustang and flee from this place. However, as he did so, another set of footsteps startled him. Ed turned around to see a young woman, around his age, glaring at him. She wore a brown dress that came down to her knees and had an Ishbalian skin tone. However, only one of her eyes was red; the other was blue, and her hair was red, not black or brown, as most Ishbalian's are.

"Who the hell are you?" Ed asked, looking at the strange mystery girl.

"I am the Dragon's Daughter. If you want to escape, you'll need to go through me." She said in a cold voice. Ed, well, Ed was Ed.

"Please, I don't exactly like beating up on little girls, so do me a favor and get outta here, okay?" Ed asked. The Dragon's Daughter was hardly amused.

Instead, the alchemic necklace around her neck began to glow, and she pressed her hands into the ground. The stone floor in front of Ed moved like a tidal wave, pushing him back into his cell and crashing him against the wall. Then she used the same alchemic technique to retrieve the guards from Ed's cell before she moved forward and slammed the door shut, locking it with her alchemy.

"Don't try to escape, shrimp." She spat at Ed, and then she turned and walked away, ignoring Ed's many colorful curses he yelled at her for calling him a shrimp.

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Alphonse was sitting on a train, bound for East City.

It was the midnight train, as he left late in the night, exactly one month and one day after Ed vanished before his eyes. Al sat in a seat by himself, looking at the night sky as the train pulled away from Resembool, his beloved hometown. He did love Resembool, and he loved Granny Pinako. However, his brotherly love for the elder Elric was stronger than any other bond he had. He would find the secret of the Nine Point Array, and he would get his brother back if it was possible.

Al felt a sharp pain course through his arm, from the elbow joint down. Where he had been struck with the shard of the Philosopher's Stone. Alphonse sighed, his arm had been flaring up at random times, and it was awful. He did not know if it was from the extensive nerve damage Granny Pinako told him about, or because she had missed a shard of the stone and it was still embedded inside him, or maybe it was just a psychological pain of guilt for letting his brother vanish. Al did not know, and he did not care.

To him the pain was needed. It was a reminder that he had tried something foolish. Mere weeks after getting his body back, he risked it again by trying to perform Human Alchemy -- and the most taboo of all human alchemy; bringing back the dead. Al needed that pain to remind him that no matter what, even if Ed was dead, he could never try a Human Transmutation again.

Alphonse had no idea that on the other side of this train ride was the beginning of his greatest adventure. An adventure involving Homunculi, Alchemy, a Great War, and many loves lost and gained. Al was afraid of what the future would hold -- mostly afraid that he would fail.

However, that never stopped him before, and it would not stop him now. With the Philosopher's Stone shards tucked into his satchel along with his alchemic papers and his pen, Al was ready to attempt the State Alchemy Exam.

Alphonse Elric, fourteen years old, was about to embark on a journey that would last for the next four years of his life. It would bring him joy and sadness, love and loss, heartbreak and healing. He did not know all of the things that lied ahead in his way, but even if he did, he would not have changed a thing.

_To Obtain, Something of Greater or Equal Value must first be lost._

_That is Alchemy's Prime rule of Equal Exchange._

_When I left Resembool, I planned to sacrifice whatever I need to,_

_If it would reunite me with the brother, I lost._

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**Author's Notes**: As you saw, this chapter finally revealed the fate of three of our stars. We will see more of Ed and the others in Ishbal, in time. The third chapter will expand on Archer's rule in East City, and explain what happened to Al's transmutation of his brother. It'll show a bit more into the lives of Ed, Roy and Scar, and the State Alchemy Exam. So make sure you come back, y'all!


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